ZincAboutIt

Nerin watched Attayl begin to explain the latest dances with genuine delight. She waved away the young woman's attempts to get her to stand up, indicating that she needed to keep her seat and her concentration. Her shift was far from done, and the new fellow who had just sat down look bone-weary and melancholy. Nerin continued soothing Attayl and Brillin's sense of inhibition - not too much, just enough to keep them talking, maybe dancing. Then, she focused on the other man, pressing down further on his exhaustion, his burdens. Nerin looked closely at his face, saw the lines etched there; her eyes traveled to his hands, which were rough from heavy work. His type came here frequently, and by now Nerin knew what to keep and what to take away. Her soothing was like wiping the dust from an old mirror. Anxiety? You don't need that here. Let's get rid of that sense of drudgery too, that endless feeling that each day is the same as the last. Not here, it isn't. Fear for the future? Worries about making ends meet? They can wait, they can wait... "Life can be a burden, indeed," she said softly. "But this is a place of rest." Nerin kept a careful eye on him, still unsure quite how deep he wanted to go. Most people only wished her to soothe the painful things, but some wished for true nothingness, a deep and smothering blanket of oblivion. @Ark1002 @I think I am here. @Sorana ======== "The name's Jeb," Jeb said to his newly-hired doorman. Then he turned to the kid at the table, thinking. He could use a few more people running drinks around the parlor. "Well..." His eyes flicked to the envelope. "I can't pay ya much, but there's room and board upstairs if ya run drinks and keep an eye on things. I'll let ya keep your own tips too, if that'll sweeten the deal. Just make sure to keep your sister outta the wine. Sound fair?" @Dr. Dapper @Emperor Stick Just then, the door opened again, and three people stepped in. Two were together, and had a lean, hard look to them despite their fashionable clothes. The third looked road-weary and hollow-eyed. One of the first pair, a woman, whispered something to her companion, then they both walked up to the counter. Jeb eyed them warily. More Scarlets? Rusts, don't I pay enough into Willet's rusting coffers as it is? "Good evening. We've got something for you," the woman said, smile white and pitiless as a dagger blade. She pushed another envelope over the table, and gestured towards the one that was already there. "You can give that one to us. It's not relevant." Jeb raised a brow. "You folks Willet's men, then?" He put a hand on the first envelope, eyeing the new one. "This ain't usual, y'know," he said quietly, reaching out with a soothing towards the pair, hoping to make them more amenable. "I don't want no trouble. You comin' in here so early in the evening, it can make my customers nervous. I pay Willet my cut each month, there ain't no need for any rough stuff." @Sorana Just then, the third man staggered towards the bartop and spilled at least six boxings onto the counter. "What are the prices for an ordinary soothing session?" Jeb blinked at the small fortune on the counter, then glanced at the two gangsters. Hell, he thought. Very quickly, he slid one boxing out of the pile and pushed the rest back towards the lad. "Ten clips for half an hour, young sir," he said, making change and putting a heavy soothing out on any budding greed or violence. Rusting dandies flashing this kind of money, just lookin' for a good robbin'. He handed the man his change, shooing him towards Nerin's back room. "You go ask for Nerin, she'll set you to rights." @John Flamesinger

Lita perked up at that. “You, Laurelai, are a woman with excellent ideas.” Behind her back, she twirled her pen. This coin is far more than an artifact. I want to test something, and I’d rather not do it here. And though she’d never admit it aloud, Lita was more than eager to escape the reach of the Stranger’s pitiless dark eye. She’d had more than enough encounters with near-deities today, and it was time to get back to what she was really good at: the beautiful and subtle art of scheming, conning, and duplicity.

Another first-timer? Nerin thought, eyeing the new fellow. He had the look. Nerin soothed his trepidation, hoping he'd feel more welcome, more at home. "Anything in particular I can help you with tonight, sir?" @Ark1002 She turned back towards Brillin, whittling away his reservations about joining them for the evening at the dance hall. "I think you'll enjoy yourself. What better way to explore Elendel? You'll want to practice your dancing before you get to Wyllion, after all." A smile danced across her mouth, quick and impish. Perhaps tonight would turn out to be more entertaining than she had originally assumed. It had been far too long since she'd been dancing. @I think I am here. =========== Jeb looked the man and his friend over, then back at the envelope he'd just been given. "Well, t' be honest I could use a few hired lads, though I won't be able to pay ya riches. Two boxings a week sound good to ya? Free drinks too when you're not workin." @Dr. Dapper The girl at the table was yelling for more wine. Jeb heaved a slight sigh and soothed some of her exuberance. "Pipe down over there, half-pint. It's good clean water for both of you from here on out, and I'll hear no more about it." @Emperor Stick

Nerin gestured around to any number of empty seats, smiling a calm, welcoming smile. The man looked exhausted. No need for that, Nerin thought, brushing away the worn edges of the man, easing his tiredness. She soothed his worry too, and any sorrow for good measure, though she’d need to watch him more closely to understand what he truly needed. ”Please sit,” she said softly, turning over a new hourglass. “Welcome, I’m Nerin.” @Ark1002

Nerin felt a sick feeling in her stomach as Attayl spoke so casually of her work. That could have been her life - would have been, if not for her brass. She said a silent prayer of thanks, then nodded to the girl. ”Jeb will get you whatever you like,” she said, giving the girl a last soothing, taking away some of her fear. At least she could walk out there with her head high, for now. “Tell him Nerin sent you for your drink. You can settle your account with him for the stay in here too, if you didn’t pay up front.” Nerin watched Attayl look Brillin up and down with a quick and critical eye. Subtle, but not as subtle as she thought she was. “And you’re right about the pianist.” Nerin drained her wine glass and set it next to the hourglasses on the spindly side table. “Spends too much time looking at pretty girls and not enough playing the keys. But he owes me a favor, so I could probably get us in for free.” @Sorana @I think I am here.

Jeb slid out a single sheet of paper and unfolded it, feeling his eyebrows travel a few inches up his forehead as he read over the number inked out in neat, precise handwriting. He was about to protest when he saw the image drawn on the bottom right corner of the paper: a red sun, half-risen. The Scarlets are getting more and more greedy each month - Willet's either struggling bad or ramping up for something big. Jeb sighed, then nodded. ”Anything else I can get for you, sir?” ======== Nerin raised a brow at Attayl’s unspoken invitation. Could be interesting. “My shift ends in a couple hours,” Nerin answered. Hopefully tonight Rene would relieve her on time - and sober. That man. “There’s a dance hall in the Sixth Octant I’ve been meaning to go to, if you like that sort of thing. The pianist’s a Rioter, though you didn’t hear it from me.” Nerin winked. @Sorana @I think I am here.

Jeb reached for the envelope, reaching out with a light soothing to settle any kind of aggression this man might have, making him more receptive to answering questions. "Anything else I should know?" He slid the envelope out from under the man's fingers and opened it.

"It isn't," Nerin answered, her thoughts dark behind her placid expression. Attayl's words brought on a cache of memories that Nerin did her best to hide away. She closed her eyes for a moment and she was eight years old again, hiding in the cupboard while her mother entertained some 'friends.' Her eyes opened when she heard the front door rattle, and she saw the frown creasing Brillin's brow. Rusts, she thought, brushing away a bit of his confusion, likely some revulsion. If she lost a good customer it would be coming out of her own pocket. Then, she saw the man reach for Attayl's hand. He smiled again, and Nerin relaxed a bit into her chair. Back into obscurity, Nerin thought, resigned. It had been fun to chat with Brillin for a moment, but no one went to a parlor for the soother. It was the soothing they paid for - she was simply the unpleasant merchant of oblivion. No one liked it when their tools had a mind of their own. Nerin sipped her wine, feeling the bitter tannin on her tongue. It tasted like the truth of the world. ================ Jeb turned at the sound of the door opening, taking in the newest customer. He cocked his head just a bit, still smiling, but his mind whirred. "That'd be me," he said. "How can I help you, sir?" @Sorana

Nerin looked to the young woman at the nearby table, trying to get a read on her. Trouble in the neighborhood? Nerin wouldn't be surprised. Jeb had had some interesting visitors over the last two months - some new toughs pushing into the Hollows. She'd been sure to make herself scarce whenever they had turned up, almost always well after closing. "You are good," the young woman said, "really good." Nerin returned a smaller reflection of the girl's smile, but her momentary satisfaction was doused when the girl continued. Spies? "They?" Nerin asked, feeling her concentration on the soothing flicker for a split second. Inwardly she cursed, resuming her efforts. A sudden lapse in a soothing felt oddly jarring - not ideal for business. @Sorana

"Storms, storms, storms," Renata whispered as Lisa ran towards Hellbent. She whipped around to face Lizanne and Aderet. "Get to the far edge of the house, where the tower was. I'll try and meet you. We need to get Arun out of that cellar." She dashed out from behind the rocks in time to see Wilhelm get nicked by Hellbent's thrown spear. Renata swore, then sprinted down the stairs and grabbed Arun under the arms. "Get up, damnation, and walk as best you can," she hissed at the girl. "If we don't leave now, we're all dead, and I won't die here in this Heralds-forsaken cellar. Almighty, I will not." Not waiting for a reply, Renata started half dragging, half-carrying Arun up the stone staircase. As she neared the top, she saw Wilhelm dragging Tish's body around towards the doorway. "What are you doing?" Renata cried. @Sorana @Blessing of Potency @Silva @I think I am here.

"Wyllion? Why, Master Brillin, you didn't tell me you were a gentleman adventurer," Nerin widened her eyes playfully, letting her smile edge into a grin. She leaned towards him conspiratorially, continuing her soothing. "I've always wanted to see what it's like outside the Basin. Is it beautiful?" Don't fool yourself, Nerin, she thought. They'd dislike you just the same out there than they do here. They'd just pay you less. She took another sip of her wine. "We are indeed open every day. If you're looking for a place to stay, there's a boarding house across the way. It's not glamorous, but it's clean and no one'll steal your shirt while you sleep."

"Generally, yes," Jeb answered. "Though I'm not above servin' fine folk some liquor if that's what they're after." He pointed the beleaguered-looking man towards the back room. "Just through that door there. Nerin will take care of you right quick. It's ten clips to sit for half an hour, but if you're lookin' for somethin' more particular you can work it out with her." @Ark1002

Jeb nodded slowly and slid the clips off the bartop. "We've got somethin' for that too, if you're in the market for it," he said, pointing towards the back room. "Nothin' soothes the troubles of the day like a good soothin'."

Jeb reached out with a quick soothing, easing a little of the man's exhaustion. As he did so, he pulled a mug off the shelf and went to the barrel tap, filling the mug with a dark ale. He slid it to the man. "That'll be three clips, sir," he said. "Long day, eh?" @Ark1002 Jeb watched the two kids bicker, hiding a chuckle behind a cough. He thought about soothing some of their irritation, but he found it a bit too amusing to put an end to it. He poured the girl a cup of wine, and measured out two fingers of clear vodka into a thick-bottomed crystal glass for the boy. "There's more where that came from, if ya like," Jeb said, pushing the drinks towards the two and hoping this wasn't the evening he'd get a visit from the conners. @Emperor Stick

"If you can see over the counter, you can drink," Jeb said, grinning. "Good evening!" Jeb called to the newcomer. "How can I help you tonight sir?"

“Well,” Nerin said, thinking. “Oftentimes people simply come to sit. I ease their worries, their troubles. Depending on the night, I may focus on a select emotion.” She flattened each one as she spoke the word. “Anxiety. Fear. Hunger. Regret.” Nerin looked into Brillin’s deep blue eyes. Quite a color, but I imagine no one tells him that very often. “You can tell me what you’d like me to ease for you,” she said. “Or, I can guess. It’s been quite a while since a first-timer has been in.”

Nerin felt her measured, calculated smile turn into something rather genuine when the man, Brillin, mentioned Elendel's reputation for soothing parlors. "Well Harmony, I didn't know I'd be representing all of Elendel's Soothers this evening," she said, letting some warmth color her voice. "Lucky for you, this is the best parlor in the city." She winked. A flat lie, that. Nerin knew of at least four that were better, and that wasn't even counting the parlors she wasn't high-born enough to know about. Still, Nerin knew her trade. She heard some kind of scuffle out in the bar room and sent out a more general dampening, careful to also ward off any disappointment of the parlor inhabitants over the noise. "Are you sure you don't want a drink?" Nerin barely soothed Brillin for that one - it was best to leave patrons some choices unaltered. Still, she didn't miss him glancing at her own wine. It's only courteous to ask. @I think I am here.

“That I am,” Nerin replied, taking in the cut of the fellow. “And who might you be?” Her touch was feather-light on his emotions, pushing away some doubt, some secrecy. She reached into her pocket slowly and drew out another vial of brass flakes, pushing the little cork off with her nail. She downed the contents, feeling the burn of Allomancy twin pleasantly with that of fine dark rum. ”Is there anything in particular I can help you with tonight?” @I think I am here.

Wonderful! Here take this consolation cookie, it’s delicious. :3

Nerin cocked her head slightly as the newest customer arrived. Koloss-blooded weren’t that rare, but she didn’t see many in the parlor. He looked a bit unsure, eyes flicking around the room. She reached out and eased a little of his doubt, his inhibition, hoping he would move into the room of his own accord. A more general Soothing was sent out to the rest of the room as a precaution against fear or prejudice at the man, easing suspicions. No need for a fight, she thought. Nerin beckoned the man closer, pointing to an unoccupied chair. She smiled a charming smile. @I think I am here.

"Apparently," Lita said, taking the coin out of her pocket and holding it up, "this thing could melt either me, or my soul, if I get close enough to one." She took in their perplexed faces, then shrugged. "I'm not taking any chances."

@Ark1002

All the blood drained from Lita's face as she looked into the Stranger's empty eye. It was a depth unknowable, horrible and incredible and dark. She looked away, her gaze falling on the duplicate coin on the ground. The spiked scull grinned mirthlessly up at her. Sacrifice. What did she say to him? Thank you? I'll do my best not to die? I won't let you down? You're terrifying? All seemed valid options. She drew in a shaky breath, then looked back at his face. "I will remember," she said seriously, and pocketed the coin. Was it just her imagination, or did it feel heavier now? His last remark had an air of finality, and Lita knew a dismissal when she heard it. She bobbed her head in a small bow, mind reeling. There was work to be done, both her own and the Stranger's; she tried not to think too hard about what his work would entail. Laurelai, Kumiko, KanMien and Whisper still stood across the Alley, speaking in low voices. She walked toward them, feeling the weight of the Stranger's eye on the back of her neck. With enormous effort, she avoided hunching her shoulders and kept her back straight as she walked, though all the hair on her body stood on end. Lita breathed out slowly, tapping some brass. The heat relaxed her a little. She raised a few fingers at Laurelai as she rejoined the group, face mostly-composed back into her usual polite, attentive expression. "Well," Lita said, with an enthusiasm she didn't feel. "That was... illuminating. Does anyone here know what a binturong is?" Behind her eyes, her thoughts raced. '...at least until you really do go mad,' The Stranger had said. Not if. Until. Lovely. @Voidus @kenod

Jeb smiled, though internally he was slightly worried about the Koloss-blooded fellow. Still, he seemed genteel enough. Jeb knew what it was to be maligned. He nodded his head towards the back room. "Just through that door, sir," he said. "It's ten clips for each half an hour to sit, fifty if you want the whole room to yourself. Nerin will take good care of you."